This invention generally relates to methods and apparatus for extracting particles from containers; and more specifically, to such methods and apparatus that are particularly well suited for extracting particles from breakable food containers.
Various food materials are sold in breakable containers such as glass jars; and occasionally such a container may break while the container is initially being filled with the food material, or while the container is being handled. Such breakage is undesirable not only because the broken containers must be replaced but also because fragments or particles of the broken containers may fall or otherwise enter other containers; and when this happens, those fragments or particles of must be removed from those other containers.
Numerous procedures are well known that very effectively remove or extract the broken particles from the other containers; and for example, this may be done by inverting and then washing those other containers before they are filled with product. These particle extraction procedures, although highly effective, have a disadvantage in that the procedures themselves may case additional containers to break.